Panel May Propose Limit On Pet-Shop Sales Of Puppies, Kittens

HARTFORD — After two lengthy and often emotional public hearings this fall, a special legislative panel may propose restrictions — or even a ban — on the sale of commercially bred kittens and puppies in pet shops.

"There's very strong opinions on both sides,'' said Sen. Bob Duff, a Norwalk Democrat and co-chairman of the Task Force on the Selling of Cats and Dogs in Pet Shops. "Whether it's right or wrong, the pet shop owners are getting the lion's share of the blame for abuses in the industry."

The movement to end the retail sale of puppies and kittens has taken hold in other parts of the nation. Los Angeles and San Diego have passed municipal prohibitions on pet sales and, earlier this year, animal activists in Branford tried to do the same. Connecticut would be the first state to pursue such a ban.

Animal rights activists argued that a complete ban on commercial sales is the only way to clamp down on unscrupulous breeders who operate "puppy mills."

Diane Vigneau, a non-practicing veterinarian from Canton, supports such a ban, saying the drive for profits is often incompatible with the humane treatment of animals.

"As a society we have a responsibility to animals who are defenseless and dependent on us,'' Vigneau said. But, she added, "The victims of sourcing puppies from mills are not only the dogs, but the owner who acquires the dog with ... health problems.''

The pet industry vowed to vigorously fight such a proposal, asserting that a ban would hurt small businesses while doing nothing to advance animal welfare.

Both sides pressed their case at a hearing at the Legislative Office Building on Wednesday.

The bipartisan legislative panel's duty is to issue a report that could be used to craft a bill in time for the 2014 legislative session, which begins in February.

But first, several nuances need to be worked out, said Duff, including whether such a ban would comply with interstate commerce rules and the fiscal implications of lost sales tax revenue.

"We have to put together a policy that makes sense, that works and that doesn't create unintended consequences,'' said Duff, who owns two rescue dogs.

Critics of a ban say it would have a devastating impact on the bottom line of pet stores by driving pet sales underground, into a largely unregulated Internet market.

"Banning the sale of puppies and cats from pet stores will not correct the problem of inadequate breeders,'' said Jennifer DeAngelis, who purchases puppies for All Pets Club, which operates several shops in southern Connecticut.

DeAngelis told the task force she deals strictly with professional breeders. "I call them professionals because I know what they do to run their kennel,'' she said.

"I know how much time, expense, maintenance, love, respect and hard work goes into taking care of their dogs and their puppies. … They do this because their standards are high," DeAngelis said. "Unfortunately, you're [ruining] the professional breeders instead of eliminating the bad apples."

Among the more than 40 people signed up to speak at Wednesday's hearing was former state Rep. Kenneth Bernhard, now a lawyer in private practice.

"The breeding dogs that live in barns and warehouses that produce puppies for sale in pet stores live under conditions which, in most instances, if perpetrated by a Connecticut homeowner, would result in charges being brought by the local animal control officer," he said.

"Dogs are man's best friend … and yet we permit a local pet store industry that panders to this reality to sustain [and] promote … another industry: puppy factories that torture breeding dogs," Bernhard said.

Representatives from the pet industry challenged Bernhard's assertions. They said animal breeders are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regularly inspects their facilities. The USDA regulates everything from the temperature inside the kennels to the amount of bedding that must be provided.

"We're certainly all in agreement that so-called puppy mills have no place in American commerce, in American society," said Charlie Sewell, executive vice president of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, a trade group, and a member of the legislative task force.

But Sewell said virtually all pet stores obtain their stock of puppies from USDA-licensed breeders — very few of which have serious violations.

Bernhard said he is not convinced there is sufficient oversight. "I dare say that most breeding facilities aren't inspected at all, or are inspected so infrequently it doesn't matter."

Several pet store owners say they conduct their own inspections. Togi Kuttamperoor, who plans to open a pet shop in New Haven next year, said he recently returned from a visit to several breeding facilities in Missouri.

"A ban will just force customers to get their puppies from other sources, like the Internet,'' Kuttamperoor said.